Vienna Little League is a 100% volunteer run non-profit organization. Our volunteer community provides on average over 20,000 hours of time collectively each year to offer the outstanding Vienna brand of little league experience to Vienna's youth. This is a staggering figure when one considers there are only 8,760 hours in a full year. In addition to volunteer time, our community has generously provided critical financial support for over 65 years that has allowed the League to expand its field capacity, ensure the safest playing environment and equipment and maintain its crown jewel, Yeonas Park, as a community asset.

In general, a League's ongoing seasonal operational costs should be covered by participant fees, and one-time capital costs, i.e. structural improvements, field acquisition, should be covered by specific fundraising campaigns and sponsor contributions. This is an approach that has served VLL well in the past and will in the future. This approach requires regular and in-depth evaluation of expenses to ensure reasonableness and periodic review of the participant fee structure to ensure it sustains operations.

The review of expenses is undertaken monthly throughout the year and a rigorous budget process is conducted annually. In the 2018 budget development process, the Board realized it had been six years since an in-depth review of the participant fee structure had been conducted and an adjustment of the structure made. Therefore, prior to establishing the 2018 registration fees highlighted below, the Board felt that a new fee review was warranted. In the review, the Board evaluated the minimal expenses required to maintain the current standard of operations, compared the VLL fee structure to the other Leagues in the District and nearby Districts and sought comparative guidance from Little League International. It was determined that after six years of level fees, a minimal percent increase for 2018 was advisable to cover operations. This would ensure that sponsorship and fundraising receipts would be available for the critical field expansion and improvement challenges of the near future.

VLL is facing a reduction in fields due to the diminishing availability of County school fields and open areas. As schools expand to meet population needs, the availability of green space on their current footprint declines. Fields are the first to go. VLL needs to maximize the use of its current fields at Yeonas and look for new opportunities to identify, improve and/or acquire field space. This will require additional financial resources.

As the VLL Board prepares for that eventuality it is also reviewing the sponsorship and fundraising structure. The intent of this review is to "right size" and diversify the various sponsorship opportunities, again in comparison to other Leagues in the District and nearby. By maximizing community financial support we hope to relieve the time and financial commitment of individual teams and VLL parents required by the current fundraising structure. We hope this increases fun and skills-developing practice and game time and reduces time spent on soliciting for donations.

We appreciate your support. This is your League and it could not operate without you. Feel free to email the Sponsorship/Fundraising team with any questions. And please consider volunteering your time.